Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-01-14
Pearh-GrOwing in New England Fifty
Years Ago,

We remember of hearing Gov. Holbrook
speak of visiting his relatives on Newfane
hill when lac was small boy. His uncle
there had a number of peach trees which
bore abundantly an excellent quality of
peaches He still has, he says. Il very dis
tinct recollection of the flavor of the
peuches from some of the trees then grow
ing ON Newlane hill, and he seldom finds
any at this day that are as good. At that
time peaches were raised in many places in
Wuiham county and they were then
tnlcrable sure crop. Why can they not he
raised now as well Has there been
change in the climate 1t is the popular
hrlicf that the climate is less favorable than
formerly hut the records of temperature
and rainfall do not prove it ON the con-
trary they show that the climate is sub
Stantially the same, or if any change is in
,licated it is slightly toward milder tenn
perature and an increase of rainfall.
Mr.. Edmund Hersey of bingham, Mass,
who has had considerable experience in the
culture of peach trees, is of the opinion
that we can grow peaches as well as for
that they were grown fifty years ago. In
an article written for the Mirror and Far
mer he says:
Fifty years ago, or even less, there
we're good chops of peaches grown almost
every year in southern and middle New
England. hut today the peach crop in any
portion of New England is very uncertain.
Why this change There are various opin-
ions. many believing that the climate has
changed but as the records do not show
this, we must look for some other cause
that something has changed there can be
no doubt, or peaches would grow now just
as well as fifty years ago. Having been
engaged in peach culture from very early
hoyhood and having closely watched the
growth of the trees and the fruit, under
the various conditions in which they have
been grown, | am not at Il loss to account
for our failure to obtain as good crops OF
peaches As did our fathers.
Fifty years ago the peach was grown
almost entirely upon natural Seeding trees
and as each grower planted seed grown OF
his own farm, or in the vicinity, the tire,
became in a measure acclnnated. and wa,
more hardy than those trees imported from
warmer climate and at that time th'
peach tree, like almost all other fruit trees
tcuar effort to secure IA rapid growth, 81
the trees made only moderate growth
aud stopped growing early enough i'll tn
autumn to leave time for the wood to re
well ripened before winter set in thus, un
der such conditions, the buds were well ri
pened and the trees were not so vigOrou
as to start the sap when there came a few
warm days in October November, afte
the leaves had dropped and thus loosen tn
gum that dement's the outer covering of tn
blossom buds together; 50, however col
the weather might be in the winter, tn
buds remained unniured and were in tn
spring, in "A condition to raise II good Gro
of fruit.
Forty years ago the budding of peac
trees with choice varieties began to be NOR
general, and then began "a change in tn
method of producing trees instead of b,
ing grown from seed raised ON the farm
they were grown by nurserymen, VII
planted seed by the bushel obtained from
more southern latitude, and then in shUl
time the trees, year old from the bu,
were brought from New Jersey and sold I
be set in the soil of our cold New Englan
climate When money was paid out f
trees it was thought the trees were valui
BILE enough to be better cared for, so the
were set in good rich land and well care
for, so as to secure a large growth Tn
great change in the production Of tre
and the treatment of them produced
change in the results. In the first pla,
the trees were not so hardy, and in the Sc
ond place they were made more susceptih
10 disease by budding them with old WOO
for the budding of tree is not the rene,
al Of life but the extension of one. III
same life, is carried along year after yea
and shifted from one tree n another; III
in time it becomes very old and its a
weakens il and makes it more susceptit
To- diseases and the moment disease in Il
slightest form gains foothold it is spree
with every bud that is taken from the tr
and set into a new seeding it is thus tn
the disease called the yellows has be-
spread all over the country with "a rapid
that would have been impossible, if we h
continued 10 grow peaches AS did o
fathers,
For more than hundred years We IA
in our family peach that always produc
from the seed about the same variety /
tree was quite hardy and was as certain
bear as were the apple trees fifty years a.
Occasionally there would be a year VIII
peaches would be very plenty, but il "
the rare exception. Believing that the
trees were more hardy than the budd
trees, | was very careful 10 introduce in
my orchard nothing but these natural tree
the result was that for years / had plen
of peaches, while those around me not on
did not have any peaches, but lost most
their trees by the yellows. Just as beg
To- feel that my trees were proof again
thu yelluws, this disease struck the tr,
and destroyed them hut | have not Civ
zap growing peaches, and new orchard /
been started with budded trees, becaus
have lest the seed Of the natural ones
nearly 50. The orchard looks we'll is p,
iccty healthy, and the blossom buds are
good condition for fruit next season, hut
the trees have been set hut three We,
next spring, large crop j. not expect'
If We could 90 back and adopt exactly
methods Of our fathers, there u not /